ST. JOHNS, Mich. (WOWO) — Michigan lawmakers are considering tougher penalties for drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses, including doubling the maximum civil fine and requiring motorists to stop farther away from buses picking up or dropping off children.

The proposed legislation, introduced by state Rep. Parker Fairbairn, would increase the maximum civil fine for illegally passing a stopped school bus from $500 to $1,000. The bills would also increase the required stopping distance from 20 feet to at least 50 feet when a school bus is stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arm activated.

The proposals come amid concerns about student safety and the frequency of drivers disregarding school bus warning signals. Michigan school bus drivers reported more than 2,000 illegal passing incidents in a single day during a survey conducted last year, according to the report from News 10.

Chuck DeSander, a school bus driver with St. Johns Public Schools who has spent three decades transporting students, said motorists illegally passing his bus is an everyday concern.

“When you’re talking about a kid’s life, you’re talking about responsibility of the bus driver,” DeSander said.

He stressed that flashing red lights and an activated stop arm require drivers to stop, not slow down or attempt to get around the bus.

“Then when we get to the stop with the reds like flashing behind me, that means stop. It doesn’t mean go. It doesn’t mean go slow through it. It means stop. It’s a red light,” DeSander said.

Under current Michigan law, motorists must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus displaying flashing red lights with its stop arm activated. Drivers must remain stopped until the bus moves or the warning signals are no longer activated.

The proposed changes would increase that minimum distance to 50 feet, giving motorists a greater required separation from a stopped bus.

DeSander said he hopes stronger laws could encourage drivers to slow down, pay attention and reconsider risky decisions behind the wheel.

“So I feel new legislation and new laws might change people’s habits of always being in a rush while driving,” he said.

However, he also questioned whether increasing fines or changing stopping distances would be enough to prevent incidents involving distracted motorists.

“So whether it’s 50 feet or 10 feet, they don’t pay attention,” DeSander said.

Data from Michigan State Police underscores the safety concerns. In 2024, the state recorded 54 crashes at school bus stops while bus warning lights and stop arms were activated, a 6% increase in school bus-involved crashes compared with the previous year.

Those crashes left 26 people injured and one person dead, according to the reported figures.

For school bus drivers, the issue extends beyond potential fines and traffic violations to the risk faced by children entering or leaving a bus. A motorist who passes a stopped bus can put students in danger as they cross the road or move between the bus and their homes.

DeSander said drivers need to remain alert and recognize the seriousness of ignoring a school bus’s warning signals.

“A life is a life. Whether the fine is $500 or $1,000 that it goes up to, it’s not going to replace a life,” he said.

The proposed bills would need to advance through the Michigan legislative process before any changes could take effect. Until then, motorists remain subject to existing state law requiring them to stop at least 20 feet from a school bus displaying activated red warning lights and a stop arm.

DeSander is urging drivers to put safety ahead of convenience, remain attentive and stop whenever required around school buses.